Gov. Kasich wants judge to block subpoena in Suarez trial Gov. John Kasich has asked a federal judge to block a subpoena ordering him to testify at the trial of a Stark County businessman accused of campaign finance fraud. Ben Suarez has been on trial in federal court in Cleveland for the past three weeks, accused of funneling hundreds of thousands of dollars into the political campaigns of Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel and Congressman Jim Renacci. The trial focuses on allegations of straw donors and of what Ben Suarez expected and got in return for the political contributions. The Plain Dealer reports Suarez wants Kasich as a defense witness to explain to the jury that political constituents frequently reach out to public officials and that there is nothing improper about that. A spokesman for Kasich tells the newspaper that the governor has no firsthand knowledge of the case and that there’s no reason for him to testify.

Tornado touches down in BrunswickParts of Ohio are again cleaning up after severe storms rolled through — including a tornado that touched down in Medina County. The National Weather Service confirmed a high EF1 or EF2 tornado touched down Monday evening in Brunswick. Some homes were significantly damaged, but police say nobody was hurt. Crews planned to finish assessing damage today. A shelter was set up at the Brunswick Recreation Center for displaced residents. Flooding from severe storms also was reported in Summit and Medina counties.

Human trafficking ring busted near ClevelandThe FBI says 16 children victimized through prostitution were rescued as agencies throughout northern Ohio partnered on a law enforcement operation targeting child sex trafficking. The agency says it was part of a nationwide initiative last week in which agents and local police recovered a total of 168 child sex trafficking victims. They also arrested 281 pimps, including a dozen in Ohio who face state and federal charges. The FBI says officers recovered 11 juveniles in Cleveland, four in Toledo and one in Elyria. This is the eighth such weeklong operation.

Pothole claims are upThe Ohio Court of Claims says 256 people have sued the state transportation department so far this year for damage caused by potholes on state highways. That's way more than the 110 claims filed all of last year, and the 147 complaints registered in 2012 with the Court of Claims, which handles cases involving vehicle damage. The Dayton Daily News reports that on average, about 50 percent of the claims result in a payout. The average award was just under $600 for the last five years. The especially brutal winter led to more potholes than usual in many regions of Ohio this year. Drivers have up to two years to file for reimbursement with the Ohio Court of Claims. Forms can be downloaded at ohiocourtofclaims.gov.

Dayton University to divest coal and fossil fuelsThe University of Dayton says it will begin divesting coal and fossil fuels from its $670 million investment pool, hoping to spark discussion about how use of fossil fuels affects climate change. The private Catholic university said in a statement Monday that it plans to initially eliminate fossil fuel holdings from domestic equity accounts, then from international holdings. It then will develop plans to invest in green and sustainable technologies or holdings.

Libertarians convene in Columbus As Republicans and Democrats vie to attract their 2016 national political conventions to Ohio, a third party's convention is being held in the capital city. The Libertarian Party's 2014 national political convention takes place in downtown Columbus from Thursday through Sunday. More than 600 delegates are expected. The event comes as Libertarian candidate for governor, Charlie Earl, has been disqualified from Ohio's ballot this year in a dispute that is still being litigated.